Spice and Wolf: The After Story
by TabiNoTochuu
Summary: I will be restarting this story in the near future. As of now, I will be taking off all my current work on this story as I begin to rewrite from the beginning. Expected release date of chapter 1: 7/1
1. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

I do not own Spice and Wolf.

This is my first attempt at a fanfiction, involving the story of Lawrence and Horo (I think it sounds better than Holo.) as I would like it to proceed after the last episode in the second season of the anime. Please take some time to leave me comments, feedback and reviews. If you have an idea of something you'd like to see in the future, feel free to give me a message, and I might just incorporate it into upcoming chapters. Oh, and this is going to be a pretty long fan fic due to the lack of Spice and Wolf fan fics on this site. I thought I would spice it up (haha. A pun.) and add a long, ongoing story to the collection here already.

Thank you very much!

~TabiNoTochuu

P.S. I will try to upload and write at least one chapter every two weeks or so. Hopefully I can continue this for as long as possible!

Credits:

I would like to thank the following people for either helping me with ideas, left a review, or helped me with a beta read:

euendo

Gemralts

Vladimier Norton

Special thanks to: crisisdestriX for leaving such a thorough review! (I did make some of the changes you mentioned!)

(Other people to be listed as time goes on. It IS a relatively new story.)

**If YOU want to help me write better material, please leave feedback! Trust me, it really helps.**

Thank you once again!


	2. Prologue

**Author's note:** Hey guys! I'm really sorry for the huge delay in the publication of this first chapter, but I have a good reason for being so late. I've been preparing for my trip to China, and that took up a huge deal of time. As a result, I didn't have much time to write in the last 2 weeks (Writing on the plane was extremely difficult).

But, all that aside, I've completely redone the plot for this story. I will be utilizing some ideas from my old story, but most of this will be new material.

The following release schedule is tentative at best, and since I might not have internet at times, don't count on stories coming out when I predict them to.

Releases:

Chapter 1: (**7/25-26**), Chapter 2: (**8/12-15**)

With that, please enjoy the newest chapter in the all new _Spice and Wolf: The After Story_.

Until Next Time!

~TabiNoTochuu

* * *

><p><strong>Spice and Wolf: The After Story<strong>

**Prologue:**

The warm rays of the sun slowly crept across the ever-brightening sky, illuminating my sleeping form underneath a large oak tree. I groaned and blinked as my eyes began to adjust to the morning light. With a yawn, I sat up and stretched, wincing when my sore muscles stretched. As my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I noticed the sleeping form of Horo next to me, her head resting on my legs.

I smiled and laid a hand on her head and gently began to scratch the area between her ears. The smile fell off my face as I recalled the events of the last few days. After the general coup and ensuing riots in the town of Renos, we had used the cover of night to sneak out of the city. However, as luck would have it, we were spotted as we tried to make our escape. With the help of Horo's wolf form, we were able to escape, however, we were forced to leave whatever supplies and goods we had left in the cart.

With that, my mind turned to what I had said to Horo on the night I had gotten her back from the traders. _"No journey is without end. When it comes time for us to part, we can part with a smile. That's all I want."_

"Is that what I really think?" As much as I had tried to deny it, I had grown attached and accustomed to having Horo around me. Perhaps... what I really should do...

I shook my head and sighed. _Despite what I want, I have to consider what's best for her as well... I can't be selfish and ignore her desires and wants._

I gently stroked her ears, and looked down into her crimson eyes. "Horo! When did you wake up?"

She yawned and stretched. "Not for very long. I think that I woke up when you began to scratch my head."

She lifted her head off my legs and allowed me to get up. I stretched and walked over to the sack I had laid next to the fire. I opened it and took a look inside. In the sack were the few things I managed to bring before we were forced to flee from the town.

I grimaced as I took stock of what we had left. There was a small pouch in which the last of our money was stored, a wrapped package of food, and some odds and ends that I sneaked from the cart. All in all, it wouldn't amount to much if we had to do a lot of traveling. With the chaos in the town behind us, we couldn't use the main roads for a while.

I unwrapped the package of food and took out some meat and a few biscuits. My face fell at the sight of the more or less tasteless meal. I sighed and brought the meager breakfast over to where Horo sat. At the sight of the dried meat, she gave me a look of disgust. "Are we really going to eat food like this?"

"Sorry, Horo... this is all we have right now. If we can get to the next town quickly, I'll be able to buy better food for us, but this is what we're going to have to eat for the next few days."

She sighed and took a strip of the dried meat out of my hands. "... well... at least it's meat. And anyways... you should have been able to catch a rabbit or two in the forest."

I watched her devour the meat and took a bite out of the hard, dry biscuit. "Don't expect the impossible from me. Besides, the wolf should do the hunting, shouldn't she?"

She leaned over and gave me a punch to the side. We laughed and finished our breakfast, preparing ourselves for the day ahead.

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

"Lawrence... Lawrence!"

The sound of Horo's voice brought me back to my senses. I had been deep in thought while we were walking, and I hadn't noticed when she called me the first few times. I turned to look at her with an apologetic grin on my face. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't hear you. What is it?"

She glared at me for a moment, then sighed. "I swear... You don't even listen to what I have to say sometimes..."

"I do listen! I was just... my mind was somewhere else, that's all."

"I asked, what are you going to do about Abe?"

"Abe?" That's right. By now, Abe must have already completed the deal, and be on her way out of Renos. However, I had no way of knowing where she had gone, nor what she had planned. All in all, it was extremely risky for us to follow her, with both the Church and the merchants from Renos after her. "... but, it's not like I can just let her get away with the entire profit..."

"That means you have some sort of plan in mind, correct? The Lawrence I know wouldn't go after Abe without something in mind."

I scratched my head and sighed. "Well... I don't really have a solid plan in mind, seeing as how I still have no idea where Abe could be headed. Besides, what would we do if we manage to catch up to her?"

"... Lawrence... Don't look down on my abilities... I'm the wise wolf of Yoitsu, and I will not have you embarrass me like this. If we manage to catch up to her, I'm going to-"

I held up a hand, cutting her off before she got too heated up. "You're not going to use violence in order to get our share of the profit back. Don't you remember? Having to pay for your bread with money stained with the blood of others is a terrible reminder to you."

She smirked at me. "Did you really think that was what I was going to say? As I said, I'm the wise wolf of Yoitsu. I have my own ways of making her give up our portion of the profit, and they don't involve any violence."

I gave a small sigh of relief at her answer. Though it made me happy to hear she didn't intend to use violence in order to reclaim our money, her "methods" made me feel distinctly uneasy. For some reason, I was nearly certain that whatever she had planned truly didn't involve hurting Abe in any way, but would include quite a great deal of intimidation.

I sighed to myself and smiled. "Ah well... That should be good enough. We can work something out once we manage to find her."

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

After a long time of walking, we finally decided to stop for the night. I laid out the two thin blankets we had, and set to work gathering wood for our fire. "Horo, stay right there and get some food out. I'll go and collect some wood from around here, and I'll be back within fifteen minutes."

I turned and set out into the forest around me. Though it was nearing night, there was still plenty of light from the still-setting sun to aid me in my search for firewood. I picked up a few big chunks of wood and stuck them in my sack. From around, I also picked up some lighter twigs and dried pieces of wood and grass to use for kindling.

I was so engrossed with my work that the next thing I knew, the last rays of the sun were gone, and the full, bright moon was already on its way up into the sky. I cursed my carelessness and stuffed a final piece of wood into my sack and hoisted it over my shoulder.

I turned in what I assumed was the direction I had come from. As I walked, the light of the full moon behind me illuminated my path. As I walked, the moon reminded me of the night I had first met Horo, and how she had become such an important person to me.

_It wasn't too long ago, was it... the night I became the companion to a selfish, bad-tempered, irreplaceable harvest deity. At the time, I don't think I even knew what I was about to get myself into. If I had known this is how it would have turned out back then, would I still have taken Horo with me?_

I frowned and continued to make my way through the thick brush toward the camp. _No... if I were still the man I was before I had met Horo, the idea of forgetting my dream to open a shop, even if it was only for a short amount of time, would have been impossible for me. I almost certainly would have ignored Horo and left her to suffer in that village._

Yes, that's right. I had changed greatly from the merchant I was before. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I had an actual companion to talk to, or perhaps it was because Horo understood me more than I could ever imagine. Also, it could have been because, over this time, I had gradually come to appreciate, admire, and love Horo. No matter what it was, what was clear was the fact that I wasn't the same anymore due to her presence. However, whether or not that was a good thing was still up for me to question.

"No..." I shook off that thought. There was no doubt that meeting Horo had changed my life, but, in my opinion, it was for the better. I might be less wealthy than I previously was, but should our dealings with Abe go well, I could very well have more than enough to open whatever kind of shop I wanted to when the time came.

Even though I had said that I would be giving up on my dream for a while in order to stay with Horo, the image of my shop was still clear in my mind. It had to have a large ground floor, with a decent-sized basement to store all of the goods I would sell. The second floor would be large enough to accommodate both me and Horo, and would-

I froze. When had I included a room for Horo in the design of my shop? But, there was no denying the idea that had made its way into my mind. Though I might not have realized it, what I truly desired was not just to have my own shop, but to have a home, one that I could share with someone I cared about.

_But what would Horo say? _She had set out on this journey for one reason, and one reason only, and that was to return to her home, far in the North. Who was I to try and steer her away from that desire? If we arrive at Yoitsu, and have no choice but to part, I would return to a more southern city and start up my own shop. I couldn't possibly live, as a mortal among Horo's people.

I was reluctant to even think about the possibility of parting with her, but I knew it may well be a decision I would have to make. "... well, we first have to reach Yoitsu. I can make up my mind about what I need to do when we get there."

I closed my mind to that topic, and began picking my way toward the faint glow of light that should be our campfire.

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

I broke through the last of the underbrush and all but collapsed in front of Horo. She stared at me impassively for a moment, then picked up the sack from the ground next to me and began to throw logs and kindling into the almost extinguished fire. Within moments, the fire roared back to life, and the shadows that had crept up while the fire was dying shrank back from the sudden heat and light.

I sat on a log, and picked up the plate of dried meat and biscuits that Horo had set out for me on the edge of the log. Before I began to eat, I noticed another plate, similar to mine, on a rock not too far away. Horo finished adding fuel to the fire and walked over to pick up the plate.

She sat next to me on the log and began devouring the food on her plate. "Horo... did you wait for me? You should have started eating without me once it became clear I wouldn't be back when I said I was going to be."

She paused, and a blush crept across her cheeks as she refused to look at me. "I'm not mad at you or anything, I was just worried that you might have gotten hungry waiting for me, and I feel bad for having you wait for so long."

"Lawrence... I have a request to make of you tonight."

I glanced over at her, and noticed something odd. She seemed extremely withdrawn, and her face looked pale in the light of the fire. "Horo, is something wrong? You seem slightly pale..."

"Lawrence... Will you... will you sleep under the same blanket as me tonight? While you were gone, something frightened me. I'd feel better with another person's presence near me."

For a brief second, I wondered whether or not I had heard her correctly. I almost made a joke about her request, but after seeing her face, I couldn't bring myself to do such a thing to her. I nodded and hesitantly put an arm around her.

When she didn't protest, I pulled her in towards me until our bodies were as close as they could be without touching. Quietly, we finished dinner and moved to find a comfortable spot to sleep. I spread one of the blankets a few feet from the fire, a place close enough so that we would stay warm through the coldest parts of night, but far enough so that we wouldn't roast from the heat.

Horo's body was tensed up like a drawn bowstring as she stared at the makeshift bed. In an obvious attempt to lighten the mood, I gave an elegant bow. "Well then, my princess, your bed has been prepared and now awaits you."

I began to feel more than a little unsettled when she didn't even crack a smile at my ridiculous attempt to make her laugh. She wordlessly climbed beneath the covers and motioned for me to join her. I took a deep breath and lifted the covers and slid in next to her.

Instantly, I was surprised by the warmth of her body. Her tail, soft and silky, brushed between us as she hugged it to herself for warmth. "Horo... will you tell me what's wrong? You never act like this normally..."

She slowly turned over to face me. Her eyes were dull and slightly red-rimmed, as if she had been crying. "... Lawrence... If someone made a selfish request of you, would you accept it?"

"That's a strange question... I guess... it would depend on the request. If I didn't think it was too unreasonable, then I would probably accept. However, if it came from you, I don't think there would be anything that would make me want to refuse."

It was to my surprise when she snuggled closer to me, nestling her body close to mine. She laid her head against my chest and draped her tail across both our bodies. She closed her eyes. "I see... Well, good night, Lawrence."

_What was that about? _I closed my eyes and tried to shut off the numerous thoughts now flying through my mind. _What did Horo want? Well... she'll tell me when she feels ready to. I won't push her for an answer right now._

However, in the end, despite how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking. After a long time, I felt Horo stir against my body. Then, all of a sudden, I heard her speak. She must have thought that I had already fallen asleep, judging by what she said. Her voice was so soft that I almost didn't catch what she said. Even after I heard it, I still didn't believe what I had heard.

"... Lawrence... will you forgive me if I asked you to forget your dream and stay with me?"

My mind froze at her question, directed at my supposedly sleeping self. Had she been considering the same thing as I had? However, her request was different from mine. She wanted me, a wandering merchant, to stay and live with her, a wolf goddess.

However, I couldn't bear to stay with her, in Yoitsu, in a village where the people lived extraordinarily long lives. I knew that my mortality would separate us, creating a rift between us that could never be bridged.

I stayed still as she settled against me and fell asleep. I remained awake, restlessness keeping me from a peaceful night's sleep. I had no means of extending my life, and, despite how much I wanted to stay with her, I knew the limitations of my life. Though I knew this, I still wished to continue to stay by her side, even if it meant a lifetime of traveling from place to place.

I took her fragile body into my arms, and brought her close. _I will stay with her, no matter what. Even... Even if it means that I will have to give up my dream. _"... Yes, Horo... I will forgive you if you wish that." I whispered softly to her sleeping form.

With that, I closed my eyes and allowed the embrace of sleep to envelop me. What I didn't notice, however, was the tiny smile that formed on the face of the girl in my arms, and the single tear that slid down her face.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>


	3. Chapter 1 - Wolf and a New Beginning

**Author's Note: **It's been quite a long time since I last released a chapter for this story (or anything at all for that matter)! I was planning on releasing this sometime during my winter break, but I was busier than I had expected and I never really got to finishing the story. However, in a spur of energy, I decided to finish up two of my in-progress chapters this week, in order to not have any loose ends for the start of my Spring Semester.

I've still not got a clear path for this story, since the new prologue and chapter 1 covers almost all of my previous story, but I have a general idea on how I should take it. For this story, I think I'm going to use fan submitted ideas and material more often, in order to change up my style of writing. So, if you have any ideas on how the a certain part of the story should progress, I'd love to hear it! Who knows? Maybe I'll end up using it for my next chapter!

Anyways, that concludes my updates for this story. I hope that you'll enjoy Chapter One of the new and improved _Spice and Wolf After Story_! Please remember to review or shoot me a PM if you have the time!

And, as always, thanks for reading!

Until Next Time!

~TabiNoTochuu

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><p><strong>Spice and Wolf: The After Story V2<strong>

**Chapter 1 - Wolf and a New Beginning**

I felt the body against my own begin to stir as morning approached. As the first rays of the sun reached over the trees, I yawned and got ready to get up. Though we had already moved far away from the riots in Renos, there was no possibility that this area we were in was safe. It was best to keep moving and to get to the next town as soon as possible.

I crawled up, carefully making sure not to wake the sleeping girl besides me. I groaned as my joints creaked and protested in the brisk morning air. I walked over to the campfire we had made last night and used a stick to poke around in the ashes until I found the last embers of the fire. Using small twigs and dried leaves nearby, I carefully built up the fire again and fed it thicker, younger sticks in order to keep it going. I took one of the small pots we had managed to bring with us and placed it next to the fire, filling it halfway with water. Using some of the dried meat we had left, as well as some salt and herbs I found growing nearby, I created a sort of stew that at least had some taste.

While the stew was finishing, I heard a yawn from behind me, and turned to see Horo stretching herself on the makeshift bed. "Good morning. Have you fully woken up yet?"

She blinked blearily at me, and it was obvious that though her body was awake, her mind wasn't really ready to get up yet. I stifled a laugh at her expression and motioned for her to come over to the fire. "Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry."

She yawned again and made her way over to the campfire and plopped down next to me. I handed her a bowl of the stew and a biscuit and began to eat. After a few bites of food, it seemed that her sleepiness went away completely, as she began to eagerly devour the stew, pausing only to take a bite of the biscuit every now and then.

(Scene break)

After breakfast, we sat in front of the nearly extinguished fire. "Lawrence... Where are we going to go now? We can't stay here forever, and it would be unsafe to go back the way we came."

I reached toward the sack not far away and pulled out a map of the surrounding area from inside its depths. I unfolded it and studied it for a few moments before I stared out at the surrounding landscape. "Well... according to this map, there should be town a few days north from here. It should be far enough away that the uprising in Renos shouldn't affect it. Also, it would be a good place for us to find a way to make enough money in order to continue our journey north."

"..." She fell silent for a moment at my words, before she scooted a little closer to me. "Lawrence... About what you just said... are you still going to accompany me back to Yoitsu? If you do, there isn't a guarantee that you will come back. The winters are harsh, and danger is everywhere."

I sat there silently for a few moments before I carefully answered her. "... Horo, even I do not know what will happen in the future. However, I want to stay with you as long as possible."

Her face turned slightly red at my words, but she smiled nonetheless. "I'm happy you want that..."

With that kind of feeling, we packed up our gear and left for the next town.

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

I used my hand to shade my eyes and looked out into the distance. From what I could see, there was a decently sized town up ahead, possibly somewhere that we could get some cheap supplies before we headed out again. With Renos still relatively close behind us, I was uneasy about staying in a town for too long. Besides, our money was dangerously low, and it would take nearly all of it just to feed us on the way to Yoitsu.

"Horo, can you see that village over there?"

She squinted in the direction I was pointing and nodded. "Are we going to stay there tonight? My legs are tired from all this walking, and I would like to sleep in a real bed tonight."

I winced at that comment. There was no way, with our budget, that we could rent a room. Perhaps if we skipped a few meals, but even then, that would be stretching it thin. "Horo... you know that we don't have too much money. I don't think that we can afford to stay in a hotel, no matter how cheap it is. My plan was to buy some basic supplies and then head out again."

I had to turn away from the glare she threw in my direction. "Isn't there some way that we can make more money? As a merchant, I'm sure that you can come up with some way to obtain funds for us in some way or another."

As we neared the town, my disappointment and frustration grew. From what I could see, the town seemed extremely poor. The buildings were constructed from cheap wood and more than one plank had been nailed incorrectly, giving the entire town a lopsided look. I began to worry that we might not even be able to buy the basic supplies that we required, let alone the other small things that we wanted. At the very least, a clean bed for the night was completely out of the question.

I walked up to the nearest townsperson I could find, an elderly man dressed in what could pass as rags, and asked for directions to the marketplace, and, after a meaningful glance from Horo, where the cleanest inn was. "Horo... In this case, it's not only because we don't have enough money that I ask that we don't stay here. I would be surprised if this town had an actual inn that we could stay at, from the looks of it."

She glanced at me and smiled mysteriously. "Lawrence, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The cover may not be pretty, but its contents may just surprise you." Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the street. "How about we make a bet? If the inn we go to has clean beds, good food, and decent wine, and is _affordable_, we get to stay there. However, if the inn is too shabby, then I will leave with you without complaint."

"Quite a convenient bet for you." I grumbled. "In either situation, you would benefit in some way or another."

Horo smiled innocently and held out her hand. "Well? Will you take this bet?"

I sighed in defeat and grasped her hand. "Alright, you win. If this inn we go to is adequate and affordable, then I promise that we can stay there. But only for one night. Our money won't last us much longer if we stay any longer than that."

I should have known that something was off when she gave me a broad grin and let go of my hand. Never did the thought that she might have known something else about the town that I didn't strike me until we were right outside the door of the inn. And by that time, it was already far too late. I looked up at the sign that hung over the entrance. "The... Drunken Frog... Not the most appealing of names for an inn... Are you sure that you want to go in? It's not my fault if you regret it."

Without any hesitation, she nodded enthusiastically. I sighed and pushed open the oaken doors and stepped into a room very unlike what I had expected. The main lobby of the inn was gleaming clean, with barely a speck of dust anywhere to be found. Though the outside was constructed out of cheap wood, the furniture and decorations inside were all crafted from precious wood and various metals. "W-W-What is this?"

At the sound of my voice, a man appeared behind the counter and gave us a slight bow. "Welcome to the Drunken Frog. How long will you be staying?"

From behind me came Horo's voice as she stepped forward. "We are not sure at the moment. It could be just a couple of days, or it could be more than a few weeks. We're refugees, you see. There was a sort of rebellion in a village a week's walk from here. We barely managed to escape with our lives."

The man's face softened at the supposed tale of our misfortunes. "Ah... I see. Am I right in assuming that you have little money due to your hurried departure?" After seeing a nod from Horo, he sighed and looked pained. "I suppose... that I could let you stay for a day or two for free... But any more than that and I would lose money."

I stared at Horo in astonishment. She had somehow managed to talk this man into letting us stay for free! "However. I ask that you wash the sheets yourselves and tidy up after yourselves. I will not have my employees clean a room for two free-loaders. Also, I'm going to have to charge you if you wish to eat. I don't want to be taking money from you two when you so desperately need it, but business is business."

Horo nodded and bowed her head respectfully. "We understand and we give you our deepest thanks for allowing us to rest here."

The innkeeper seemed rather flustered as he fumbled below the counter until he pulled out a key. "This is the key to your room. It's on the third floor, furthest down to the right."

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

I stopped Horo once we were out of earshot. "H-How were you able to convince him to let us stay for free?"

She grinned and poked me in the chest. "That's something you'll learn as you'll grow older. You can't stay as thickheaded as you are normally for much longer if you wish to get ahead in the world. I've been alive for a long time, and this is something I picked early on in my life."

I took the key from her as we approached the door to our room. As I unlocked the door, I turned to her and sighed with a smile on my face. "In that case, you definitely need to teach me some of the tricks you've learned."

As I flung open the door, my words faltered as I surveyed the contents of the room. It seemed like a pretty normal room, until my eyes fell on the bed. "W-What... W-Why is there only one bed?"

For a moment, even Horo seemed at a loss for words. "The innkeeper must have made a mistake. Go down and ask him if we could have a different room."

I groaned and made my way downstairs. I stopped in front of the counter and waited for the innkeeper to notice me. "Is there anything I can help you with, free-loader?"

My face reddened somewhat as I held up the key to our room. "Um... I think you may have given us the wrong key. There's only one bed in the room, and there are two of us."

The innkeeper gave me a grin that I didn't exactly feel comfortable with and gave me a strange-looking wink. "There's no mistake. You two are married, right? I felt like this would be better for both me and you. I save money by letting you two use a (cheaper) one-person room, and you two can enjoy some time together without having to worry about anything."

I was about to deny this, when a sudden thought popped into my head. "What makes you think that we're married?"

He grinned. "It's pretty obvious how close you two are with a single glance. And from watching how she acts around you -" Then he stopped. "Wait... So you two really aren't married?"

I denied it with a shake of my head. The innkeeper shook his head with a sigh. "In that case, I won't tell you what I was about to say. However, trust me when I say you two would be perfect together."

I turned away in exasperation and headed back to my room. I made my way to the third floor and down to the end of the hall. I stopped in front of my door and turned the key in the lock. After a bit of thought, I knocked with a bit hesitatingly. "Horo? I'm back..."

When there was no answer, I knocked again. "Horo? I'm coming in." With that, I slowly and carefully opened the door.

Upon entering the room, I found her fast asleep on the bed, sleeping more peacefully than I had seen her sleep for some time. I smiled to myself and carefully closed the door, being careful not to make any sounds. I walked over to the bed and slowly pulled the covers further up so that they covered her entire body.

At the touch of my hand against her face, her eyes slowly fluttered open. For a moment, our eyes met and we held each other's gaze for a few seconds. To my surprise, it was Horo who first averted her eyes. Her cheeks reddened slightly at the sight of me hovering over her protectively. "L-Lawrence... What did the innkeeper say?"

Now, it was my turn to be embarrassed. I scratched my head for a second before I responded. "A-Ah... Um... He said that he gave us this room because he t-thought that we were a m-m-married c-couple."

Her face flushed even redder at those words from me. She hesitated for a moment before she responded. "I... Um... Do we r-really look like a m-married couple to other people?"

I opened my mouth to respond, to tell her that the innkeeper was being overly 'welcoming' in order to try and weasel whatever money he could from us, that it wasn't how we really appeared to other people. But then, I hesitated. If I told her that, could I really convince her that it was the truth? Could I convince myself that it was the truth? In the end, I decided to say what I thought was right, and what I thought Horo wanted to hear. "... Honestly? I think that... to many people, we definitely would look like a married couple. The way we act around each other is much unlike how friends would normally act."

The room was silent for a long time as my words sank in. After a while, a terrible feeling began to grow in my stomach as the seeds of doubt began to grow. What if I said the wrong thing? What if I just created a rift between us that could never be healed? These were the types of thoughts that were racing through my head as I tried to think of a way to salvage the situation. Just then, a small voice came from the bed, nervous and trembling. "I-In that c-case... Why don't you t-t-treat me like your w-wife while we're here?"

My mind stopped dead and I felt as if electricity had coursed through my body. Seeing my hesitation, her face brightened a few shades of red and she seemed to shrink back into the bed. "... J-Just kidding."

I made up my mind in a split second after seeing the look on her face. I stepped forward and sat on the bed. After a moment's hesitation, I felt the bed shift as she sat up and moved to sit next to me. "I'm s-sorry that I made such a strange request of you. I guess that I'm just not feeling well from the journey. Don't think about what I've said to-"

I cut her off by pressing my lips firmly against hers. Her eyes widened and for a brief moment, she tried to push herself away from me. Then, as I continued to push forward, her body lost strength and fell back against the bed. "L-Lawrence?"

"I see how it is. If that's how you feel about me, then you should have told me."

Her face was unreadable for a few seconds before she placed her hands on my chest. Then, with a surprising burst of strength, she pushed me off of her and ran out the door. I sat there, stunned as I listened to the sound of her footsteps heading downstairs. Then, I came to my senses and flung open the door. Confused at her reaction, I ran downstairs, searching for Horo.

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

Around an hour later, with the help of the innkeeper and some villagers, I found Horo outside of the village, sitting underneath a tree on top of a hill. As I approached, her ears twitched from the sound of my footsteps, but she kept her gaze toward the distant mountains. She didn't complain when I sat down next to her, and for a while, we both stared into the distance in silence. After some time, she took a deep breath and turned to me. "I'm... I'm sorry for how I acted back at the inn."

I placed my hand on her head and smiled in relief. "It's alright. I'm not sure why you ran away so suddenly, but as long as you're safe, then I guess it doesn't really matter."

"It... doesn't matter... huh? I guess you really can't see it."

Her words were so quiet that I barely caught them. I caught the tone of bitter disappointment in her voice, but I decided not to comment on it for the time being. As the sun began to set, I stood up and held out my hand to her. "Come on, Horo. Let's go back."

"You can go back if you wish. I'd like to stay out here for a while longer. This scenery helps me relax and allows me to think clearly."

I sighed and bent down. "In that case, I'll stay here with you until you wish to leave. We should hurry though. The inn must be serving food soon, and it won't taste good unless you get it right after they make it."

I noticed her shoulders trembling and I reached out to touch her in concern. She violently slapped my hand away and stood up with anger in her eyes, but tears running down her face. "You don't understand, do you? I can't be with you right now... You don't... You can't possibly understand what I'm going through right now."

The anger slowly faded from her eyes, only to be replaced with disgust. "Look at me... Look at what kind of person I've become. I don't know when in our journey I became like this, nor do I know if this is a good thing or not." Her face reddened. "I... I made a mistake today in telling you how I feel about you. I had kept these feelings locked inside of me for so long, yet with one ill-placed comment from that stupid innkeeper, and I could hold them back no longer."

I tried to step forward and hug her, to gather her into my arms and tell her that it was okay, but my body would not react. She stepped forward and lightly brought her fist down on my chest as tears streamed for her eyes. "I'm not worthy of such thoughts..."

As the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the mountains, I finally gathered my courage. I took a step forward, then another; each step bringing me ever closer to the woman in front of me. After what seemed like an eternity, I slowly placed my arms around her and held her close. "... Horo... Why would you think this? If anything, it's me that isn't worthy of being with you."

"Why... Why are you always so kind to me? I'm not worthy of your compassion. There's no way that you could love me, especially if we have to part once we reach the forests of Yoitsu."

I could only stand there in guilty silence. There was no way I could completely abandon my dream. At the end of our journey, we will have to part. She did not belong in the world of humans, and I could not stay among the immortals of Yoitsu. I knew of my own mortality, and she knew of her own immortality. There was no way that we could stay together forever. However, I wanted our journey to be as long and as happy as possible before our inevitable parting.

"You are more than worthy of my feelings. I do not want us to part either, but if this is what fate has decided for us, then what can we do to oppose it? And... I don't think I've told you directly... but I do love you, Horo. And I will for as long as I live."

She slowly stood up and took my hand. "I'm happy... that you feel that way about me." She gave me a smile and began to walk back toward the village. "Let's go back, Lawrence."

**-oOo-oOo-oOo-**

As we neared the village, I noticed that there were many more lights than should have been present at a poor town like this. We entered the inn and asked the innkeeper what the commotion was. For a while he seemed not to understand what we meant before he responded. "Ah, that's right. I forgot. You're not from around here. Well... not many people know what this village really is, and those who do are all very rich and powerful. At night, our village turns into one of the world's most famous gambling resorts. We keep an outwards appearance of poverty to ensure thieves never raid us."

"A gambling resort?"

"Yes, sir. One of the world's finest. If you'd like, you could try your luck at the tables." He chuckled. "Maybe you'll make enough to pay me for the room."

Horo tugged on my sleeve and whispered in my ear. "Lawrence... can we go check it out? Maybe we can actually win something. We definitely need the money if we can get it."

"However... I don't think we can afford to lose what money we have left. And I'm also sure that these games are rigged. We can't take any chances..."

I took a step back when I saw the look on her face. _If you make that sort of face... there's no way I could refuse... That's just plain unfair!_ "Alright, alright... But, I decide when we leave, so we can minimize our losses should we lose more than we win."

She smiled and slipped her hand in mine. "Thanks, Lawrence. Trust me on this. I have a really good feeling about tonight."

I sighed in defeat and allowed her to pull me toward one of the buildings the innkeeper pointed out. _Why am I not surprised at how this turned out? _But, as I glanced at her face, I couldn't help but smile. _But, I guess this isn't so bad..._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 - Wolf and a New Beginning<strong>


	4. Chapter 2 - Wolf and the City of Thieves

**Author's note:** Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since my last update, especially for this story. I've been extremely busy of late with my internship and various other things, and I haven't really been able to spend much time on writing. However, after a month of on and off writing, I proudly present to you the newest chapter of my Spice and Wolf story!

Hopefully, I'll get some more time soon to be able to write, and I can get more chapters out!

Until next time, and as always, thanks for reading!

~TabiNoTochuu

* * *

><p><strong>Spice and Wolf: The After Story V2<strong>

**Chapter 2 - Wolf and the City of Thieves**

Upon entering the building, it was like we had been transported to a completely different place. Compared to the relative quiet outside, a wave of sound greeted us as we pushed open the doors. The spacious room was filled with dozens of tables, each one surrounded by groups of richly dressed men and women. A small section of the room, near the back, looked to be a sort of bar, with dining tables scattered around.

I felt a nudge against my side and turned to look at Horo. She had a smug, self-satisfied look on her face that I had grown used to. "I told you, didn't I? This looks like so much fun!"

As much as I wanted to agree with her, my experiences taught me otherwise. These places were notorious for being able to quickly waste away all your money. The wine and beer they served here was cheap in price, but pretty high in quality. However, it would get you drunk faster, which would make it easier for the employees to exploit you. "I don't know..."

"Don't be so worried! You're with me... what's the worst that could happen?"

I shuddered in fear as the various possibilities flashed through my head. Despite my apprehension, I went against my better judgment and walked up to the front desk. Using around a quarter of the money we had left, I received a stack of wooden disks, used to bet in the various games. I handed them to Horo and seated myself in a chair a distance away from the commotion in the actual gambling area. She followed me with a hurt look on her face. "Don't you wish to play as well? I'm sure that you'll have fun."

I waved her away. "I appreciate the offer, but this isn't the place for me. Go ahead and enjoy yourself. I'll be here when you are finished."

She turned away in a huff and stormed over to the tables. Though I felt bad that I had refused her so bluntly, I was confident that she would soon forget about it. However, I still just couldn't put the issue aside. "... I'll apologize to her later and treat her to something. I'm sure she'll forgive me then."

From beside me, a female voice spoke up. "Having some trouble there?"

I turned around to see a young woman sitting next to me. She was dressed rather well and it was obvious that she wasn't the daughter of a lowly peasant or merchant. I looked down at my own plain clothes and wondered why someone like her would be speaking to me. As if she could hear my thoughts, she held her hand out to me. "My name is Alice. It's nice to meet you."

I took her hand and gave it a firm shake. "It's nice to meet you as well. You can call me Lawrence."

She smiled and motioned toward the tankard she held in one hand. "Can I offer you a drink?"

My face reddened slightly as I mumbled something about not having enough money to spare for expensive wines. Alice laughed lightly and waved at a passing server. Within moments, another tankard of wine was sitting in front of me. "It's my treat. Go ahead and drink."

I hesitantly picked up the tankard and took a cautious sip. To my surprise, the wine in the cup was extraordinarily delicious. There was a hint of fruit and something else that even I couldn't place my finger on. But, before I knew it, I had drained the entire cup. "Excuse me. I don't think that I've ever had wine like that before. Where did it come from?"

Alice smiled and took a small sip from her own tankard before she answered me. "There's a small village far to the north that have perfected a type of grape that can thrive in cold weather. This wine is the result of many years of failures and is now one of the most expensive wines on the market."

I nodded, and crossed my arms across my chest. "I see... It truly is a wonderful wine. However... I also know that things rarely come without a price. A rich young woman like you shouldn't have had a reason to speak to a traveling merchant like me."

I had to give her credit, she managed to hold in her surprise rather well, though I could see that she now looked more guarded and curious than before. After a while, she sighed and raised her hands in defeat. "... All right... You've got me. There is something that I would like you to do for me."

She held the cup between her hands and hesitated before she continued. "I sought you out because, from a distance, I could tell that you weren't from this area. Since most travelers to this area only come for the gambling and other attractions, it would have been... difficult for me to ask them for help." Alice leaned closer to me and looked around before she spoke. "I... I need you to smuggle me out of this town. I don't care where you're going, but as long as you can get me out, I'll make sure that you're rewarded."

I held up a hand and stared at her in astonishment. "Did I hear you correctly? You want me to _smuggle_ you out of this town? Why not just walk out the front gates? From what I've seen, there are only a few guards on patrol at a time."

She shook her head, and for the first time, I saw a different emotion slip into her eyes. Fear. "If it were possible for me to do that, then I would have done so a long time ago. Please, just hear me out." Then, she abruptly stood up and set her tankard down. "I should get going. It's getting late, and I should be getting home soon." Before she left, she bent down and whispered into my ear. "... I'll meet you in your hotel tonight. Keep a candle near your window."

Then, before I could even say anything, she was gone. "... What was that all about?"

A iron-like claw grasped my shoulder, and it took all I had to not yell out in shock. I slowly turned and came face to face with a scowling Horo. "... Lawrence... I leave you alone for just a few minutes, and you're already drinking and meeting up with other women?"

My face reddened as I realized what she had seen. "W-Wait, Horo! That wasn't what it seemed! She came up to me, bought me a drink, then gave me a business proposition."

Her eyebrows raised. "A business proposition? That seems like a pretty weak excuse to me..."

She coughed and turned her head to one side. "Well... I'll forgive you this time, as long as you treat me to wine and come play a few games with me."

"I-I don't know about that... My luck with these sort of things is terrible. You shouldn't expect anything great from me, okay?"

Horo laughed and grabbed my arm. "I never did in the first place. Now come on! The night is still young and there are many things to do!"

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

Around an hour or so later, we had made very little progress. Aside from the occasional win, it seemed like we were losing money far faster than we could win it back. To make matters worse, as the night wore on, Horo insisted on more and more drinks, and now it was clear that she was no longer thinking clearly. I glanced at the stack of disks in my hand. We had lost nearly three-quarters of the amount we had started with, and we had barely managed to win back a quarter of what we had lost. "Horo... I think it's time to call it a night. We're pretty much out of money, and you're really drunk."

She leaned against me and gave a small hiccup. "I'm not drunk, Lawrence... Let's play at least one more game..."

I sighed, but decided to go with her request. Even if we were to turn in our chips now, the amount of money we'd get back wouldn't be significant. "Alright... But, I'll be the one to play. With how drunk you are right now, you'll be easily fooled by these people."

Before I could do anything, Horo grabbed the last of the disks from my hand and rushed over to one of the "jackpot" tables. These were the only tables that I could be sure were not rigged, but the chances of actually winning a jackpot was close to impossible. It was much easier to lose money here than it was to win it, but still, the tables were densely crowded. Horo dived headfirst into one of the most crowded tables that was advertising a three hundred gold coin jackpot. However, it was also the table with the lowest odds of winning. Any chance that I had to pull her away from the table were utterly smashed when she placed the last of our money on the table.

This particular table was one where the host had a number card, and players could pay to draw one to three other numbered cards from another deck containing at least several thousand numbered cards. The more you paid, the more cards you could draw. At a certain point, the host would stop the drawing and reveal his card. There were several tiers to winning, dependent on how close your number was to the host's. There was one card in the deck that was the same as the host's, but it was impossible to predict where it could be. Most people were able to win a small fraction of their money back, and a lucky few could win a little more than they paid.

With the money we had left, Horo was only able to purchase one try, and the host held out the deck to her. Instead of picking a card straight away, she stared at the deck for a good minute before she drew a card carefully from the deck, somewhere in the middle. She took the card and stared at it for a good minute before she caught the host's attention and spoke with him. The man looked confused for a moment and held out the deck again for her. Horo replaced the card she had gotten and carefully drew a new one. Satisfied, she walked back to where I stood, with the card held closely against her chest.

"What was that all about?"

She gave me a look. "What do you mean?"

I pointed at the card in her hand. "Why did you switch your original card with that one?"

Horo shrugged and looked at the card. I saw now that it was the number 13. For some strange reason, even though there wasn't a real reason for me to feel apprehensive, something didn't feel exactly right. There was something about the number that felt off. Being the merchant that I was, and with the number of towns I had passed through, there was no way I couldn't have heard the superstitions revolving around the number 13. Though I was not a superstitious person, I still felt a strange wariness take hold of me. Before I could voice my concerns, the host set down the deck and announced that the betting was over, and that he would now pick the winning card.

The man drew a card from his own, personal deck, and held it up for everyone to see. My mouth dropped open in shock as I stared at the number on the card. Horo silently walked up to the front of the queue, and without a word, placed her card on the table. There was a collective gasp as many people realized that her card matched that of the host's. She had won. The host, with a face like someone had forced him to eat sour grapes, reached behind him and pulled out a small bag. Even from where I stood, a good ten to twenty feet away, I could hear the clink of coins hitting each other. She thanked him and handed him her card before she made her way back to me. I noticed now that the room had grown deathly silent. Then, as if to break the silence, an extremely well-dressed man, presumably the owner of the establishment, rushed forward to shake Horo's hand. "Congratulations, young miss. It's been a very long time since someone has won at this particular game." He began clapping, and as if on cue, one by one, the rest of the patrons in the room joined in.

Horo thanked him with a smile on her face. However, she lightly tugged on my sleeve. When I glanced down at her, she flicked her eyes at the door, and I immediately understood. After thanking the host once more for their generosity, Horo started for the door with me. After we had left the building, I opened my mouth to ask her a question, but stopped myself when she threw a look in my direction. Her expression told me to hold my questions for now.

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

We arrived back at our inn without a word and immediately went up to our room. Upon entering, I locked the door as Horo sat herself down on a bed. "What's wrong? Why did we leave so suddenly?"

She sighed and looked outside. "There's something wrong with this place, Lawrence... I did not notice at first because of the wine, but now it is as clear as day. You saw how the host of the table looked when I had won."

I shrugged off that comment. "Who isn't a bit sour after losing that much money? Besides, its not like the amount was significant to him. I'm sure an establishment like theirs makes at least twice that much per day during the summer months."

The bag of gold sat on the small table next to Horo's bed. She stared at the leather purse as if it were alive. "I do not think that is the case. There is something deeper here, something more sinister. I don't know what it is just yet, but I'm sure that by winning at that game, we might have lost far more than we have gained."

I felt a worm of doubt enter my heart. Over these last few months, I've grown to trust Horo's judgment. She had a sixth sense, and she was able to see the truth in a matter far earlier than I could. However, I was still skeptical of this assumption she had made. "Even if that man was angered by your win, that doesn't mean everything about this city is sinister. Look at the owner of the gambling house. He was the first one to come congratulate us, and he did so with a smile."

Horo smiled and shook her head. "Oh Lawrence... Do you really think so well of that man? You of all people should know that appearances can be faked." The smile slipped from her lips, and was replaced by a thoughtful frown.

I sat down next to her and placed my hand on her head. "Don't worry about it so much. I'm sure it'll be fine. There's nothing to be afraid of in this town, I can assure you that."

She sighed and leaned up against me, closing her eyes as she did so. "So... about that woman you were talking to earlier... What exactly did she want?"

I absent-mindedly ran my hand through her hair as I answered. "She came up to me and bought me a drink. She definitely wasn't your average person, and she recognized instantly that I was a traveler. However, she hasn't told me yet what she wanted from me. She wanted me to put a candle in our room's window so she could come discuss in private."

Horo's eyes opened slowly and found mine. "And, being the foolish man that you are, you agreed to it without a second thought, am I correct?"

"I didn't have much of a choice. She told me to leave a candle in the window then left abruptly. She didn't even give me a way to contact her should I decide not to go with her plan."

Nevertheless, I stood up and placed the lit candle on the windowsill. Its light could be seen from anywhere on the street, and I hoped that Alice was watching. "Now, the only thing we can do is wait. When Alice gets here, we can decide whether or not to go with her proposal."

Horo rolled her eyes at me and lay down on the bed. "Men can be such fools sometimes," she said, to no one in particular.

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

Alice didn't keep us waiting for long. Within a half hour, there was a soft knock on our door, and Alice walked in, wearing a thick cloak over her clothes, the hood obscuring her face. She quickly turned and locked the door behind her before she made her way inside the room. I could tell she was surprised that Horo was in the room, but other than a slight raise of her eyebrows, she gave no other indication of her surprise. "Good evening, Lawrence. I was beginning to worry that you had forgotten."

"Of course not. A merchant does not forget his promises. Although you didn't really give me a choice, I'm still more than willing to hear you out."

Her eyes flicked over to the bed, where Horo was sitting, her ears and tail hidden by her clothing. "I was under the impression that we would speak privately. I'd rather my words not be heard by anyone else."

I saw the faint anger that appeared in Horo's eyes, and hurried to save the situation. "If you have something to discuss with me, then I would have you tell her as well. This is Horo. I trust her more than you can imagine, and whether you tell her now, or I tell her later, she'll find out either way, so let's just get this over with."

Alice nodded in Horo's direction. I could see the dislike in the gaze from one woman to the other. _This is going to be hard enough without the two of them going at each others throats. _Alice turned back to me and sighed. "Alright then. Shall we begin?"

From the bag she had brought with her, Alice pulled out a bottle of wine. A quick glance told me what I had suspected; it was a brand of wine I was familiar with, but not one that I could hope to afford. I raised an eyebrow at her. Alice shrugged. "My tale will take some time. I thought it prudent for me to at least bring some refreshment for taking up your precious time."

I brought out three cups and poured each of us a portion of the wine. Like the one she had bought me back at the gambling house, this wine was full of flavors, some I had tasted before, and others that were foreign to me. Horo tried a sip, and I noticed her surprise at the taste. Alice sat back and sighed. "I guess it's best if I start at the very beginning..."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

"I was born to a relatively wealthy family in this town. My father was a successful merchant that had dealings throughout this area. However, a large portion of his income came from the gambling that is a part of this town. My mother died when I was very young, a victim of a wave of fever that swept in from the northern lands. My father tried his best to take care of me, but as a merchant, he was home fairly infrequently. In the end, he hired a nanny to take care of me."

Alice took a sip of wine before she continued. "On one of the occasions when my father returned to the town, something happened that changed my life forever. Suddenly, without any warning, my father fell extremely ill. None of the healers here knew what to make of it, and all they could do was ease his suffering before he eventually passed from this world. However, before he died, my father turned over everything he owned to me, to be accessed when I was ready to take up the family name. However, the council had other plans. Soon after my father's death, they seized all his assets. They claimed that it was for safekeeping until I grew older, and they refused to relinquish it until they thought I was ready. This was suspicious to me, and soon after, a talented healer from the south confirmed my suspicions. My father had been poisoned using a very rare and undetectable poison derived from the leaves of a plant that grows in the caves north of here."

She looked out the window at the dark roofs of the houses around the inn. "This town may seem simply and innocent enough, but make no mistake, only thieves and liars reside here. Once you enter this town, there is a risk of not leaving it. The council rules the townspeople with an iron fist, and with their supposed lure of gambling and cheap, good food, they draw in many people from across the land to extort and scam." Her eyes fell on the small sack on the bedside table. "It seems that I have arrived too late. The last man who had won more than one hundred gold pieces was never seen in the town again. His body was discovered several miles away, and the standing rumor was that robbers had found him. But I know better. The council had sent men out to recover their gold, and they stopped at nothing to get it back, just like how they had murdered my father and took what was his for themselves."

Alice leaned forward and stared at Horo and I in turn. "This is the proposal I wish to give you. Help me escape this city and bring these criminals to justice. If we hurry, we can reach the northern city of Thornswood, we can be there before the winter's snows blocks the mountain pass. I assure you that you will be rewarded, but I cannot guarantee your safety."

At that moment, when she had finished talking, there was a loud knock on the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Wolf and the City of Thieves<strong>


	5. Chapter 3 - Wolf and Unseen Threat

**Author's note: **Hello, everyone! Wow, it's been so long since I've last updated any of my stories! I've been extremely busy these last couple of months, both with schoolwork and other obligations. I currently am playing Planetside 2 (A MMOFPS by Sony), and I'm a leading officer in one of the largest outfits on my server. This involves work on quite a few things, as well as having the responsibility of leading upwards of 300 other players in massive operations. So, between that and school, I've had very little time to write. However, I was able to get some work on my stories done during these last few days, which was fall break for me.

Thanks for waiting so patiently, and I hope that I'll start updating more often!

~TabiNoTochuu

* * *

><p><strong>Spice and Wolf: The After Story V2<strong>

**Chapter 3 - Wolf and Unseen Threat**

We all jumped at the sudden knock. Alice responded extraordinarily quickly, pressing herself against the wall next to the door, pulling out a long dagger from a hidden sheath as she did so. She waved at me to go answer the door. My heart was pounding as I slowly reached for the handle. I quickly opened the door, expecting to see an assassin waiting for me. Instead, the innkeeper stood outside, looking slightly embarrassed at having disturbed me. "I'm sorry, sir... but there's something I need to speak to you with."

Because of my conversation with Alice, warning bells immediately went off inside my head. "Is something the matter?"

His eyes darted towards the stairwell. "I- uh... Would like to speak to you privately if possible."

I waved for him to come into the room. "If you have something to talk to me about, you can do it here. Besides, whatever you tell me, I'll tell her." I pointed back at Horo. "So, you might as well just get it over with here."

He made a show of thinking about it, but I noticed his eyes flicking towards the stairs. Clearly, he was scared. "A-Alright then. But, let's make it quick, okay?"

The moment he was inside the room, I quickly closed the door behind him. His eyes widened as Alice laid the point of her dagger on his throat. He raised his hands in surrender, trembling as she pushed him back into one of the chairs in the room. "Tell me who was waiting for him."

The innkeeper's eyes darted towards Alice before he shook his head. "N-No one w-was waiting for you! I simply n-needed to speak with him privately in my o-office."

Alice pushed the tip of the dagger a little harder, drawing a bead of blood. I laid a hand on her arm, feeling her tense as I did so. When she relented and stepped back, I kneeled down next to the innkeeper. "Listen. We're not going to hurt you. I just want to know. If there's danger to my life, and the lives of my companions, there's no way I would continue to stay here."

His eyes slid over to the doorway, his expression fearful and panicked. "... I-I cannot. They will kill me if you show any indication that I had given you a warning. I'm not a bad person... But I also do not wish to die."

I laid a hand on his shoulder. "That's alright. We can come up with something. Why are they coming after us? We've done nothing wrong."

He shook his head. "I think you know why they are after you. You won a jackpot tonight, correct? Well, they're here to collect their money."

I frowned as an inconsistency presented itself. "However... I don't believe they would do anything in a public inn... There are too many other guests around, and any one of them could hear something happening if it really did."

The innkeeper laughed. "Do you really think the council is that thoughtful, outsider? They won't care where or how they get their money back, as long as they do. Besides, my inn is one of the poorer ones. Only the less rich find their way here."

Alice glared at him, flipping her dagger from hand to hand. "So, basically, you're telling us that there's no way for you to get rid of these men."

His eyes flicked to her nervously. "I-I can always t-tell them that you are planning to stay for a while longer. T-They may be less hasty to act if they believe that you will remain in the town for a longer period of time."

I motioned for Alice to back off, as her menacing attitude was clearly scaring him. She backed off and leaned against the wall, but she kept a firm grip on her dagger, and a close eye on the innkeeper. "How can we be sure that we can trust you? You could easily backstab us, save your own skin, and possibly even make a decent profit from selling us out. Why should I give you the chance?"

His eyes were fearful, but he looked determined to win our trust. "I won't sell you out. I have no love for the council and what they do. I would like nothing more than to help you escape... on one condition."

My eyes narrowed. What could we have that he could possibly want? The innkeeper seemed to sense my suspicion, and hurried to add to his request. "I'm tired of living a life under the boot and sword of another, not knowing what the next day will bring. I wish to be free, to help others instead of bringing harm to them. I don't wish to live as a slave to this town... I want to be a free man."

I sneaked a glance over at Horo, who was still sitting on the bed, pretending not to listen to the proceedings. However, I knew that she was hanging onto every word. She looked up, and gave me the barest of nods. She believed that he was telling the truth. I turned to Alice. "What do you think?"

She scoffed scornfully. "You want to believe him? This guy probably will just sell us out when we least expect it. I've told you before, only liars and thieves live in this town. We should just get rid of him and leave tonight, while we still can."

At her words, the man's eyes opened wide with fear. "P-Please, I'm begging you. Just trust me."

"Why should I believe you? Give me one good reason."

He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but no sound came out. I stepped forward, between him and Alice. "That's enough. I've heard enough to make my decision. We'll take him."

She threw up her hands in disgust and sheathed her dagger. With one last scathing glance at the innkeeper, and another one at me, Alice flung open the door and stormed out of the room. We listened to her heavy footsteps descend the stairs, before they disappeared in the general din of the inn's lobby. I turned back to the innkeeper and helped him up from the ground and sat him down in a chair. "... I'm sorry about that. I didn't know how she would react."

The innkeeper shook his head. "No, it should be me who needs to apologize. She was right to doubt me. If she had not left like that, the council's henchmen might have come into the room."

I stared at him for a moment. "Why are you telling me this? Don't you think that we'll trust you less, now that we know you work with the council?"

He sighed. "You're right. But, if you'll believe me, trust me when I say that I want nothing more to do with the council, and nothing more to do with this city. Alice knows this, but because of our past, she refuses to trust me anymore."

Horo's ears perked up, and she stared at him curiously. "If I may ask, what happened back then that caused such a situation between you two?"

The innkeeper shrugged and leaned back. "I guess I should start at the beginning. By the way, my name is Doran. This was how everything in my life fell apart."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

"I was born in this town during a severe winter blizzard. I never thought too much about my lifestyle, surrounded by the rich and prosperous. As I grew older, my father began to teach me about the basics of running an inn, and a variety of other topics. My childhood and teenage years were spent in utter bliss, learning swordsmanship, archery, horse riding, and other skills that no average citizen would have the money or time to learn. However, everything was soon to change. My father was tasked with traveling to a southern city in order to pick up a shipment of building materials and various wines. As a special treat, he decided to bring my mother and I along. We traveled through the cold woodlands of the north and soon reached the grasslands beyond. It was a new experience for me; the warmth of the sun, the gentle swaying of the grasses, and the crisp smell of the land itself filled me with an euphoria that I had never felt before."

"We arrived in a port city, and we met up with a merchant. My father arranged for the goods to be loaded on our cart, and we stayed in an inn for a few days while the goods were sorted out and loaded. That night, I snuck out of the inn alone, an adventurous boy in his early teens, and set out to explore the city. I was amazed at how vibrant and full of life the city was, even though it was late. There were still people bustling on the streets, drinking, eating, and having an amazing time. However, as I continued to wander, I came upon the poorer districts of the city. For the first time in my life, I saw people who suffered on a daily basis. I had been so sheltered in this town, that at first, I could not believe what I saw. People were sleeping in the streets, begging coins and food from anyone who passed by. They were dirty and disturbingly thin."

"I went straight back to the inn after that, and I spoke no more of the incident for the next couple of days. However, on the way back, I could hold in my questions no longer, and asked my father why those people were like that. Though hesitant at first, he opened up and told me that, outside of our town, there were people who lived in poverty, people who had no money and no way to get out of their debt. I decided, that I would try my hardest to help those in need, and train myself to be the best I can."

"However, life doesn't always let you do things as you planned. As we re-entered the northern lands, we were besieged by bandits. My father yelled for my mother and I to run as he pulled out his sword. However, in the heat of the battle, a stray arrow, aimed at my father, hit my mother. It wasn't until we had all reached the borders of the city, when a group of guardsmen from the city came to our aid, that we discovered my mother's wound. As fate would have it, the arrow had been tipped with poison."

"My mother was bedridden for a full week as the poison took its toll. The best herbalists and doctors in the city came to see her, but none could identify or cure the poison that was slowly killing her from within. My father went out of his mind with grief, choosing to sit himself in a pub, drinking until he was either thrown out, or until he was out of money. With my mother on the verge of death, and my father unavailable for any work, the task of running the inn fell to me."

I held up a hand. "I'm sorry, Doran... Forgive me for my rudeness, but how does this relate to Alice and the situation at hand?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry. I was about to get to that."

"I worked at the inn for several years. In that time, I watched my father grow more distant from me, often disappearing for days at a time. The loss of my mother hit him very hard. One day, he just... disappeared. His body was discovered a few miles away. The exact cause of his death was never discovered. But, that's another story. As an innkeeper in a 'gambling resort town', I saw many people come and go, most were wealthy, but there were always some who were far less fortunate, desperate for a chance to make their fortunes."

"Then, one day, a merchant arrived at my inn with his daughter. They were staying for a few days as a getaway from the southern cities. That girl was Alice. At the time, I was just barely twenty years of age. I instantly fell head over heels in love with her. There was something different about her, something that I couldn't help but be attracted to. I doubt she felt that way about me at first, but as we talked and I got to know her, I like to believe that she felt the same way about me after getting to know me. For the first time since my father's death, I was happy. I got to spend time with a woman that I had fallen for, and everything was going well. I was extremely sad to see her leave the town, but I was heartened by her promise to return with her father when they had a chance."

"This went on and off for nearly two years. She would come visit with her father twice or three times a year, sometimes more. Every time, we would spend as much time as we could together to make up for the times that we couldn't see each other. Then, one day, she came up to me with a odd expression on her face. Her father had accepted a job offer from the town's council, and they would be staying in the town for at least a year or two."

Doran grinned sheepishly and stared at his feet. "I was so happy to hear that, that I immediately told Alice what I was thinking. That day, not twelve hours after I learned that she would be here to stay for a long period of time, I proposed to Alice. You wouldn't believe how happy I was when she said yes."

His face fell. "But, then... things began to fall apart. Her father, though a very clever and accomplished merchant, could never resist the lure of gambling, taking a risk to win a massive profit. He made some money from the gambling houses, but never enough to make a significant difference. But, one day, luck favored him, and he nearly doubled his savings in one night. I was with him that night, talking about my future, and how I wanted to learn to be a merchant, so that I might one day help him with his business. I had never seen such a look of anger on the owner's face as he handed over a large sack filled with gold coins."

"For a little while, nothing happened. Then, out of nowhere, Alice's father fell extremely ill. I called for the best herbalists and doctors, even finding one from a very well-known school in the southern continent. However, try as they did, none of them could help him. The only thing that we did learn, was that someone had poisoned him, and that it wasn't an illness."

"Naturally, the council launched an investigation, and came up with a list of suspects, most of who I now know were actually working in close conjecture with the council. But most importantly, on that list, was my name. I'm sure that the church approached Alice and told her that they suspected that I had a hand in the death of her father. Ever since then, she hasn't spoken with me. Our marriage was broken off, and her hatred for the town, and for me, grows by the day."

Doran sighed and rested his head in his hands. "... that's my story. Now, will you believe that I mean you no harm?"

Horo coughed. "I believe you. And, I believe, that in order for us to leave this town, you will need to explain your story to Alice, and prove to her you were not involved."

He glanced at her. "How can you be so sure? Her hatred runs deep, and all attempts I've had to contact her have been met with ice-cold fury."

Horo smiled slightly, and I noticed her ears twitch slightly under her hat. "I've got my own ways of speaking with people. I promise you, she will believe you."

He sighed again and stood up. "I hope you're right. I'll leave you two alone now. I'm sure I've given you a lot to think about, and I would rather you get some rest. Also, be sure to lock your doors and windows. Though I'm reasonably certain the council won't try anything in here, it's always good to take some precautions." He opened the door and walked outside. "Good night."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

I sat back on the bed and sighed. "How are you going to get through this? There's no way that you can prove to Alice that Doran was innocent. Her mistrust runs too deep, and her hatred too strong. I cannot see how it can be done."

Horo smiled and removed her hat. Her ears twitched as she looked at me meaningfully. "I think they will believe me. Just a hunch."

Despite her sense of righteousness, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. For a very long time, I had been the only one to have seen her less than human parts. "Are you sure that's wise? Not everyone will react favorably after they find out you aren't human."

She grinned rather wolfishly at me. "Why Lawrence, I didn't say anything about revealing my true nature to them. What ever made you think I was going to?"

Too late, I realized that I had fallen directly into her trap. I hurried to try and cover my mistakes. "W-Well, I thought that, by revealing yourself, you could convince them better. After all, it's not easy to deny the truth in the words of a Wise Wolf."

Horo slid up and rubbed her shoulder against me, her eyes filled with mischievous energy. A wicked grin spread across her face as she looked over my red face. "Hmmm? I see now... But, it sounds like you'd rather I didn't reveal my true form to them... I wonder why that is?"

I tried to slide away from her, but I only ended up pressed against the wall, with her directly in front of me. Defeated, I tried the only thing left in my arsenal. "... Alright, fine. I got jealous, okay? I was the only one for a very long time that has seen your wolf form, and I'd rather keep it that way. It makes me feel like there's a special connection between the two of us. That isn't something I can let go of that easily."

I was delighted to see her composure slip a little at my honest answer. Before she could recover, I decided to go on the offensive. "Why is your face getting red, Horo? Are you feeling alright?"

Of course, the moment she realized I had noticed her blush, her face turned an even brighter shad of pink. "O-Of course I a-am! What makes you think I'm not feeling well?"

I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against hers. "Hm... Your temperature is normal, as far as I can tell. Your face is much redder than normal though."

She went silent, her face redder than I had ever seen it before. Her face was unreadable as she sat there, unmoving. Suddenly, she tilted her head upwards a little, allowing her lips to meet mine for a few precious seconds. Time seemed to stop for me as I stared into her brilliant red eyes. Then, realization hit me, and I slid back a few centimeters, just enough to escape the touch of her lips. "... W-What was that for?"

Horo touched her own lips, her eyes unfocused. "I... felt like doing it. Something about how jealous you were getting made me happy... I know I shouldn't have, but I can't help it..."

I leaned forward again, and her lips trembled as my face got closer to hers. However, before our lips could meet, she placed a finger on my mouth and stopped me. "... Not right now. If we kiss like that again, I'm afraid of what could happen..."

I gently grabbed her hand and pulled her into my arms. Without a word, I laid back on the bed, and closed my eyes. "If that's what you wish. However, you wouldn't deny me the pleasure of a quick good-night kiss, would you?"

She grinned again, and flicked me on the forehead. "In your dreams. Sweet dreams, Lawrence."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

Unseen by Lawrence and Horo, a figure in black stealthily moved away from their window, and raced to report what he had heard to his master. He looked both ways as he moved past the large central road, making sure that no one would see him. A few minutes later, he arrived at an seemingly ordinary house, but he knew otherwise. This house was the home of the city elder, the most powerful and dangerous man in the city; possibly even in the entire region.

"Sir... I have returned."

The elder didn't even look up from the scroll he was reading. "Good, good. Did Alice notice you tailing her?"

The man shook his head. "Of course not. I made sure to cover my tracks completely. I also heard that they plan on leaving very soon. They left out particulars, but I assume it would be within a few days at the most. Also, the innkeeper, Doran, seems to also be in on their plans. Though they were hesitant at first, in the end, those two outsiders decided to take him with them."

The elder nodded, making a slight note on his scroll. "We must make our move, then. We must be quick and stealthy. They must not know that we have discovered their plot. Take your men and move in on them, tonight. Do not alert them to your presence."

The man nodded. "As you wish, Elder. It will be done before sunrise. I will personally take the two travelers prisoner and bring them to the jail."

The elder stared at the man, holding his gaze until he looked down. "... Jail? What ever gave you that idea? I want you to take your men, and kill them. They cannot be given a chance to escape. Who knows what Alice and that confounded innkeeper have already told them? No... We cannot risk that. Kill them, and we rid ourselves of a potential threat."

The man nodded, visibly shaken. "Oh, and by the way. Don't disappoint me. You know what awaits you should you fail, don't you?"

"... Yes, my lord."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Wolf and Unseen Threat<strong>


	6. Chapter 4 - Wolf and the Daring Escape 1

**Author's note: **Hey guys! Wow... it's been so long since I last posted! I've been super busy with school and other things, and I just haven't had the time to write the stories I've wanted to. Basically, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive (sort of), and I'll be working on my stories that I've been putting off for a long time.

For this chapter, we continue where we left off in the last chapter. I tried changing how Horo acts, and I tried to give her a slightly different attitude and personality than I did before. Maybe you'll notice it, maybe you won't. Also, since my idea for this portion of the story turned out to be longer than I cared to put into one chapter, I'll be splitting it into two parts, with the second part having a lot more drama and action than in this chapter.

For now, that's it! If you have any questions, or a suggestion for future story ideas, whether it's for this story or another one, feel free to PM me! I read and respond to all PM's sent to me, and I love taking suggestions from my readers.

As always, thanks for reading!

Until next time,

~TabiNoTochuu

* * *

><p><strong>Spice and Wolf: The After Story V2<strong>

****Chapter 4 - Wolf and the Daring Escape Pt.1**  
><strong>

My eyes snapped open, and it took them a few seconds to adjust themselves to the darkness around me. Horo was right next to me, her head resting gently on my chest, a peaceful smile on her face as she slept quietly. I absently stroked her head and looked out the window. The moon was still high in the sky, and it was obvious that it was till very late at night. Then, all of a sudden, from the hallway, I heard the creaking of floorboards. _Who could be up at this hour? Whoever it is, they're being awfully loud..._

I felt Horo stir next to me and I looked down to see her yawn and rub her eyes sleepily. "... I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

She shook her head, then, her eyes widened as she sprang out of bed. "Lawrence, we need to leave, now!" She hissed, pulling on her hood and grabbing our belongings from the table. "I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier, but it seems that Doran was wrong about the council. They're here, Lawrence."

Shocked into action, I jumped up and pulled on my jacket, being as quiet as I could, so as not to alert the men that were only a few feet outside our door. "How are we going to escape? We're on the top floor of the inn, and there isn't any way we can get out except through the window."

Horo grabbed the sheets and ripped them apart, quickly and expertly braiding them into a makeshift rope. "Exactly. Bring the gold, Lawrence, and let's get moving. We need to warn Doran and Alice if we are to all escape from this town alive tonight."

She opened the window and nimbly swung herself up onto the roof, wrapping her blanket ladder around her shoulder. "Hurry, Lawrence. We don't have much time. If we can leave now, we might be able to sneak our way out before they realize where we've gone."

I maneuvered my body outside the window as the door began to open. I swore under my breath and pushed myself up as quickly as I could, but not fast enough to completely cover my escape. I heard a cry of alarm from inside the room, as well as the scrambling of feet. Horo gave me a hard glare before she grabbed my hand and pulled me across the roof. Upon reaching the edge, we stopped. From below, we could hear the voices of men shouting. "They're on the roofs! Don't let them get away!"

Horo sighed. "... So much for the element of surprise." She stood at the top of the inn and looked around. "We can use the closeness of the buildings to our advantage. Watch your step as you jump, and don't stop moving."

She was about to jump across when I grabbed her. "Horo, what about Doran? They'll go after him once they realize that we've escaped. We need to warn him."

She smirked smugly. "Do you think I do not plan things out in advance? Just as a precaution, I had Doran stay with Alice tonight. She hated the idea, but in order for us all to get out safely, it had to be done. All we need to do now is to go there and collect them. Doran told me he knows of a secret way out of the town."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "... I wish you would tell me these things before you did it. It would be much better for my heart."

She grinned as she jumped down to the roof of the adjacent building. With a sigh, I took a running start and followed her. Five buildings over, Horo suddenly stopped and pressed herself down on the roof. She waved at me to do the same, and I laid down next to her. "What is it? Did you see something? A guard?"

Horo shook her head. "The men searching for us, they've scattered. They're going to try and cover as much area as possible so that we'll have less places to hide or run to... The exits will be watched, Lawrence. We need to find another way out."

I frowned as I watched a pair of heavily armed guards run past on the streets below. Between the two of us, we only had one small dagger; hardly enough to deal with several dozen well-armed and well-trained guards. "There aren't any other ways out... We could scale the town's walls, but I'm sure there will be guards on there. We'd get spotted before we could even get halfway up them."

Horo slowly raised herself and began to move towards the building adjacent. "... We'll worry about that later. For now, we need to meet up with Alice and Doran. They've lived in this town for a long time, and I'm sure they know of another way out."

I noticed a slight tension in her voice, as if she was trying to convince herself more than she was me. I gently reached out and grabbed her hand, smiling as she jumped slightly from my touch. "Don't worry, Horo... I'm sure they can get us out. Besides, with a wise wolf like you with us, is there anything we need to fear?"

She smiled slightly, but her face was still filled with worry. "It's just... What if there isn't another way out? In a town as small as this one, there aren't many places to hide."

"If it ever comes to that, I'll figure something out. I always do."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

I edged my head around the side of a building, making sure to keep my face hidden in the shadows. From my angle, I could clearly see there were two men standing guard outside Alice's house. _No... there must be a third one, somewhere else, in case the two here are overrun. I have to admit, they know what to do, strategically. _I inched back and sat down against the building's wall. "I see two guards in front of Alice's house. We aren't going to be able to get in without attracting a lot of attention."

Horo made a fist and grinned. "That won't be a problem. If there are only two of them, we can easily take them out before anyone notices."

I held up a hand to stop her. "No, that won't work. My guess is that they aren't so careless as to leave these two on guard themselves without some sort of backup nearby. My bet is that there's a third man somewhere near here, keeping watch on them. If we were able to somehow get past those two, he could alert the entire town to our presence."

She frowned and took another look at the two guards. "... Are you sure you aren't just overthinking this? What makes you think this way, Lawrence?"

I held my head in my hands and sighed. "I'm not sure... It's just a gut feeling. I can't help but feel like something bad is going to happen if we just go and blindly move without making sure we've covered all the angles."

"There's only one option that we have... We need to draw out the third man, and take him out of the picture before we can even consider dealing with those two guards." I stood up and brushed the dirt off of my clothes. "I'll lure him out. You're going to have to be nearby, and knock him out when the chance arises."

Horo suddenly jumped at me, flying directly into my arms. She squeezed me tightly, and I felt two warm, wet spots appear where she pressed her face into me. "You idiot! Do you really think that I'll let you go forward with such a foolish plan? If you're captured, they'll kill you! Are you not worried that something like that could happen to you?"

Slightly surprised by her reaction, I pulled away slightly so that I could look her directly in the eyes. "... I know the risks, but what else can we do? Besides, even if they caught me, I'd be happy knowing that you would have escaped."

A resounding crack sounded in the alleyway as she slapped me. Shocked, I could only stare at her as she stared resolutely at the ground at my feet. "Idiot, idiot, idiot! How could even let yourself think that way?! Haven't you even considered how I would feel if they killed you?! We've gotten so far, there's no way I'd let you sacrifice yourself for me like this."

Horo stepped forward and back into my arms, and I could feel her slender frame shaking as tears forced themselves from her eyes. "... I won't let you do this foolishness, Lawrence. If they were to capture you... I don't know if I would be able to go on..." Her head lifted, and her crimson eyes, reflecting the soft light of the moon, met mine. "Because... you know very well that... t-that I l-lov-..."

I grabbed Horo and quickly pulled her into the shadows of the alleyway, making sure that we were hidden from sight. I covered her mouth with one hand, trying to tell her to be quiet. "_Oi, Lawrence... What is the meaning of this?! Just because I told you t-that doesn't mean you're allowed to get so cocky, you know?!"_

I glared at her and nodded toward the entrance of the alleyway. A guard had just begun to walk through the alley. As his footsteps drew closer, the sounds of his muttering reached my ears. "... Why do I need to patrol these areas anyways? It's not like I have my hands full enough as it is right now... Besides, it's only two people. How hard can it be to catch them?"

He quickly looked through the alley, not even bothering to check the corners, and promptly left. I sighed in relief and relaxed my hold. "Sorry, Horo. I heard him coming, and I decided to act, since it seemed like you were distracted..."

Despite the situation, her face was red as she turned her head slightly to look at me from the corner of her eye. "... Lawrence, you idiot."

I smiled and hugged her close. "Alright, Horo. We'll wait it out. There'll be a chance for us, I guarantee it."

Her body relaxed, and she snuggled in closer to escape the cold that was beginning to settle over the town as the night grew darker. "... even in a situation like this, I'm just happy that you're with me, Lawrence."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

Some time later, I noticed movement in front of Alice's house. The two guards were collecting their things, and getting ready to move, by the looks of it. A quick glance at the sky told me that it was getting very close to dawn. I shook Horo, who had been dozing quietly against me. "... It looks like they're changing shifts or something. We'll only have one chance for this, so be ready to run as soon as they aren't looking."

She rubbed her eyes and nodded. I watched the two men chat casually, clenching and unclenching my hands from the tension. Then, as if on cue, they both turned down the road, and walked off, taking their weapons them, and leaving the door to Alice's house wide open. "Now!"

I grabbed Horo's hand and made a mad dash towards the house, bursting out of the alley and taking cover behind a stack of crates in front of the house. I peeked over the edge at the backs of the two departing guards. One of them had stopped and was looking back with a confused look on his face. The wind shifted slightly and their words drifted over to me.

"... I swear that I saw someone running across the street..."

"Ha! Seeing things again, are you? We've been standing here all night, the only thing I want to see is a nice mug of ale and a hot meat pie. Speaking of which, if you don't stop dawdling behind, I'm going to take your share as well."

"Like I'll let you!"

Bickering and arguing, the two rounded a corner, and I heaved a sigh of relief. I slid over to the door and inched it open. After making sure there wasn't a guard inside, I waved for Horo to get inside, then went through the door myself, closing it quietly behind me. Slowly and quietly, we made our way upstairs, and knocked on Alice's bedroom door. From inside, we heard a wild scramble and then a voice. "C-Come in."

I opened the door, and was instantly knocked to the ground by a figure in black. My hands were pinned behind me, and a knife was pressed against my throat. "No quick movements, and no one gets hurt, you understand?"

From where I was, I could see Horo glaring at Alice with obvious hate in her eyes. "We trusted you! How could you just go and turn on us like this?"

Alice looked slightly uncomfortable, as if she didn't know what to think about this turn of events. "... I did not wish to trick you two like this. You both seem like good people, but you made the mistake of entering this town. Once you enter, you don't leave."

I laughed bitterly. "I see now. What next, Alice? Will you have us executed in front of the entire town as a show of force? Or, would you rather torture us until the town's council is satisfied with our suffering?"

I noted that her discomfort deepened as she looked away before responding. "... The council has decided to be merciful. Instead of death, you will be kept under lock and key in the jailhouse until a decision can be reached for your fates."

I shot a look at Horo to calm her down, since it looked like she was on the verge of pouncing on Alice. "Fine. But, will you at least listen to one request?"

Alice looked at me suspiciously. "And what might that be?"

I jerked my chin at Horo. "If we are to suffer this fate, then may we at least be jailed together? If I were to be in the same cell as my wife, I would be less likely to resist, since I would be worried about her well-being."

Her eyes narrowed, but she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "... Fine then. You two can share a cell."

The guard picked me up and began to walk me out the door, when a sudden thought crossed my mind. "Alice! You've caught us, but where's Doran? What happened to him?"

"... Criminals like you are similar anyways. You three will be kept in the same cell. Enjoy it while you still can."

With that, she turned away, and a group of well-armed guards entered the house, ushering us off towards the jailhouse.

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

The building was, as expected, morbid. The exterior was unkempt and dirty, and upon entering, it was clear that there was a very blatant lack of maintenance and care for the prison and its prisoners. An ungodly smell wafted up from the deeper areas of the prison, and the entire area smelled of waste and too many people packed into too small of an area. By some miracle, we were led to one of the better-looking cells on the first floor. There were three dirty cots along one wall, a waste bucket, and a water bucket, but precious little else. The one window to the outside was barred and high up on the wall.

Doran was already inside, and he stood up when he saw us. "I see... so they got you as well? I should have warned you about what was going to happen, but I was taken almost immediately when night fell... I'm sorry."

I placed a hand on his shoulder as the guard locked the door behind us. "There is nothing to forgive. You've done nothing wrong. If anything, it should be me apologizing for putting my trust in Alice far too quickly. If I had refused her request, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation."

Horo sighed and sat down on one of the cots, wrinkling her nose at the smell coming from the dirty sheets. "At least, in a place like this, we'll be able to think up a plan." She sniffed at the cell again and groaned. "I'll never get the smell of this place out of my mind..."

Doran stared at us. "You can't be serious. There is no way that we can possibly escape from this prison. We have not the tools nor the ability to escape from a prison like this."

"We must try, at least. If we give up now, we'll have no chance at all. If we at least try, who knows? We might just find an opportunity to escape if we put our minds to it."

I sat back on my cot and sighed. "For now, we just need to sit back and put our heads together. There will definitely be a way."

Doran shook his head. "I would not have thought this would happen... If I did, I wouldn't have involved you two... If I wasn't so weak back then, if I had spoken out, let Alice know what had truly happened, then maybe none of this would have occurred..."

"Doran... it was Alice who tricked us. She allowed guards into her room, to surprise us when we least expected it. We were foolish to trust her so quickly."

He frowned slightly. "You did say something like that earlier... But I was not tricked by her. I had gone to her room to talk with her, to see if I could clear up past wrongs and make things right again with her. And, for a while, it was going well. She seemed almost embarrassed to see me, and she seemed much more willing to listen to my side of the story. After some time, she asked for some time alone to think, and I decided to step out for a breath of fresh air. The moment I got outside, a hood was thrown over my head, and when it was removed, I was here."

Horo looked over at him thoughtfully. "... maybe... just maybe, we were a little too hasty. If what I suspect is correct, then we might have a chance to escape."

We stared at her in confusion. "Horo... What do you mean?"

She laid back on the cot and closed her eyes. "I'll tell you when the time is right. For now, we just need to sit back and wait. Now, since there really isn't much else to do, I'm going to sleep. I suggest that you do the same. We'll need all the strength we can get."

****-oOo-oOo-oOo-****

I woke up suddenly. Though it should have been morning by now, the sky outside was still dark, and rain drummed ceaselessly on the roofs of the buildings. A flash of lightning arced across the sky, and, seconds later, the boom of thunder echoed through the prison. I turned slightly, and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get back to sleep. Just then, I felt the cot shift slightly as someone slid in under my blanket and up against me. "... Horo... What are you doing?"

She whimpered slightly and pushed herself closer to me. "... Please don't make fun of me, but... I'm n-not good with t-t-thunder."

I stared at her back in amazement. "I'm surprised that the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu is scared of something as small as thunder and lightning."

Horo turned to face me, her own face pink from embarrassment. "I-It's just that, I've never liked thunder. It's loud, and it's scary... Besides, where I was, thunderstorms like this only happened very rarely. I'm not used to this type of environment."

We were both silent for a few moments before I decided to ask. "Horo... about what you were talking about earlier. What do you suspect? Is there a possibility that we can escape from this place?"

She looked at me for a second before she sighed. "... I don't want to get your hopes up, but I believe we judged Alice too hastily. We may have been quick to trust her, but there was something off about when we were captured. Her behavior didn't match her words, and also, what benefit would they get from putting us all in one cell? If anything, they should have separated us into different cells, to make us despair and to crush any hope of us collaborating to escape."

I frowned thoughtfully. "You do have a point with that, but if Alice was truly on our side, why didn't she warn us or prevent this? I'm sure she knew, especially after Doran was caught by the guards."

Horo pursed her lips, her eyes flashing in the dim light. "I believe... that they were taken by surprise. She had no choice but to act like she was cooperating with the council, otherwise they would have taken her as well."

Understanding dawned within me, and I nodded slowly. "So, you think she has a plan?"

Suddenly, from outside, a familiar voice responded. "Lawrence, I almost always have a plan." I jumped up and looked towards the door of the cell in disbelief as Alice unlocked the door. "Now, hurry. Collect your things, and let's go. The town still sleeps, and this will be our last chance to escape."

Horo grinned and grabbed her cloak, and the bag of gold from her cot. I hurried over and shook Doran awake, informing him of the situation at hand. Quietly, the four of us made our way through the hallways and out into the pouring rain. Alice led us to a rather abandoned area of the town, and opened up a wooden cover covering what looked like a well. "This will take us down into the sewers below the town. It used to be used, but they found a more efficient way to get rid of their waste and abandoned this area a few years back."

I looked at Horo and she looked at me, and it was obvious we were thinking the same thing. "Erm... There really isn't another way... is there?"

Alice shook her head. "The only other way out that I know of is through the main gates, and there's not a chance in the world that we will be able to get through there."

I sighed dramatically, and held a hand out to Horo. "And here I thought once would be enough. I just hope that what happened last time won't happen again."

Though she tried hard to contain her laughter, it wasn't long before she collapsed in a fit of giggles. Doran and Alice stared at the two of us in confusion.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Wolf and the Daring Escape Pt.1<strong>


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